I don't make any profit from this fic! This is purely for entertainment and fun! Labyrinth and the Worm belong to Jim Henson. Marik and the others belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Kuinnu belongs to me!
Chapter 2: Into the Labyrinth ~Alice in Wonderland~
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Alice. Alice was very curious and that often caused her to get into odd situations of trouble. One day, she followed a strange White Rabbit down a rabbit hole, and found herself in an even stranger place called Wonderland. She encountered many strange creatures and characters as she wandered through Wonderland. A Cheshire Cat, a Mad Hatter and his companions of the March Hare and the Dormouse and even a rather odd blue Caterpillar, among many others, most of whom were not much help to her. It was still a rather curious place, full of possibility, however. What if Alice found she liked Wonderland more than she wanted to admit?
When she lowered her arms, Kuinnu saw a young man, probably close to the same age as herself, maybe a bit older. Eyes of sapphire met eyes of amethyst, and the girl felt her heart stopping. Fear spread across her eyes, even though she would have tried to hide it. Her throat felt dry as she opened her mouth to speak.
"You're him, aren't you?" Kuinnu asked, feeling a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as realization hit her. "You're the Goblin King."
A smug smile crossed the young man's lips.
A wave of guilt, shock and fear washed over the girl as she felt the full force of what happened and what was happening hit her. "I want my boyfriend back, please, if it's all the same." She said, praying silently that her words, her wish, could be undone.
The young man let a slight sigh fall from his lips, tempering a chuckle of amusement. "What is said is said, my dear. I'm afraid it's rather rude of you, making two such troublesome requests in a single evening." He replied with a slight bow towards the blonde teen.
"B-but... I didn't mean it." Kuinnu said, fighting off a blush as the young royal bowed to her, as well as holding back the urge to return his gesture with a bow or curtsy. "I was just mad, and shot my mouth off without thinking in the heat of the moment."
He looked ever more amused. "Didn't you, now? You know, the most grievous offences are made in the heat of the moment. Blazing in the anger of one's frustration, or called upon in moments of apparent love." He chided, as if to imply something. The young man of sandy blonde hair took a step nearer. "A temper is a thing that should be restrained, yet you allow it free reign."
The biracial girl looked down, looking at her hand. She remembered how she had slapped Yami before running away from him like an immature child. "I... I admit that I can let my temper get the better of me, but I never meant for him to be..." She looked up at him, trying to remain composed and not cry in front of her 'guest'. "Taken away."
"What's said is said." He repeated taking a seat for the moment on her father's bed. "Besides, if you can get so easily angry with him, then maybe you shouldn't be with him anyway"
"No. You don't know anything about me and Yami." Kuinnu said defensively, balling her fists. "We have our moments, but we really do love one another."
"Fine. I know nothing, except that you wished him away. That certainly is a twisted variety of love, isn't it?" The blonde royal asked, sounding amused as he rose from his spot. His regal colored eyes never left the girl.
"But I didn't mean it." The human girl snapped, trying to stay calm in front of not only a royal, but one who probably had more power than she could imagine. It was then that it dawned on her that she still hadn't caught his name. "Who are you, exactly?" She asked him somewhat timidly.
"Marik, King of the Goblin City, Lord of the Labyrinth, and Master of the Shadow Realm." He introduced himself, taking her hand and kissing it gently. His deep blue-violet eyes stayed locked on her ocean colored eyes, and Kuinnu felt her stomach doing flip-flops while she took in his appearance. His pale blonde hair was layered, resting on and around his shoulder area, while a golden 'crown' with a strange design that made her think of Ancient Egypt rested on his brow, part of it hidden by his bangs. She also noticed a pair of golden earrings hanging from his ears and golden bands as some sort of necklace on his neck as well. Both the gold of the jewelry and his pale hair seemed to perfectly compliment his tanned skin. It was obvious that his tone was natural; perfectly and evenly colored, like polished bronze. Kuinnu let her eyes drift downwards slowly, taking in the rest of the young king's appearance. Almost everything on him was black. A black poet's styled shirt, a black vest overtop the shirt, tight black pants that seemed to be made of some material she couldn't place, black boots that went up to his knees and a black cape that hung on his shoulders and fell behind him perfectly. The young woman noticed a pair of bracelets that seemed to cover three-quarters of his forearms and probably was the only thing on him, along with the rest of his jewelry, that wasn't black.
"Kuinnu… Go back to your room. Play with your many toys and dolls. Dress yourself up in your costumes and your makeup. Read your many fairy tale books. Forget about the boy." The Goblin King said calmly, watching her with an intense gaze. Slowly, he raised a hand and touched her cheek softly for a brief moment.
Kuinnu could see something in his violet eyes, but what exactly it was she couldn't place. Slowly, she shook her head in objection. "I can't do that."
Seeing that she was going to be stubborn, the Shadow King decided it was time to try another approach to the matter. "I've brought you…" Marik said, holding up his hand and summoning a beautiful crystal orb about the size of a baseball to his hands. "A gift."
"What is it?" Kuinnu asked, seeing the crystal and finding it lovely, if not somewhat ordinary in its appearance.
"It's a crystal. Nothing more, nothing less." Marik said, moving it around in such a quick and fluid motion that it almost seemed like the crystal was floating atop his hand. "But if you turn it this way, and look into it…" He said, moving to stand next to the teenage girl. "It will show you your dreams."
'Show me my dreams?' Kuinnu thought, seeing only her reflection on the surface of the crystal before faint images began to form inside it. She could see herself singing on stage, wearing a beautiful gown that shimmered in the light, with a large audience applauding her when she finished.
"Do you want it?" Marik asked, whispering in her ear gently, before moving back to stand in front of her again and catching her gaze with his own. He held the crystal out to her, waiting for her to take it from him.
Did she want it? Why would she not want it? It was beautiful in its own right, but it also could show her dreams? Clearly, this man, Marik, understood her, knew her secret desires and wishes. He understood how much her dreams meant to her. Out of a subconscious instinct, Kuinnu grabbed the charm of her necklace, gripping it lightly.
"Then forget about the boy." The young ruler added after a moment.
The crystal… for Yami? No. Not even that beautiful crystal was worth giving up her boyfriend, her prince. Shaking her head slowly in refusal, Kuinnu let her eyes lock with Marik's. "Please..." She said, her voice lowering to a softer tone. "Please, bring him back. Please."
"Again, you ask so much of me. One moment you wish him gone, the next you want him back. I do not feel like catering to your whims if they waver so much, my dear." The Goblin King replied with an irritated tone as he pulled his hand back and the crystal vanished.
"Where is he then?" Kuinnu asked, letting her azure eyes take in his appearance carefully yet again, all the while struggling not to blush.
"He's exactly where you think he is." Marik said turning, flourishing his cape to reveal the scenery outside the window altered to one of a curiously barren looking landscape with a great labyrinth and beyond that, a great palace in the distance.
The young woman quickly moved to the window, soon finding herself standing on the top of a hill overlooking the landscape of the great maze. "Is that... the castle beyond the Goblin City?" Kuinnu asked slowly, before turning back to the young king. "Then… if I make it to your castle, I can find Yami? Isn't that correct...?"
"You might find him there." Marik said softly. "But I should advise you, turn back. If you turn back now, things will be undoubtedly better." He added, watching the teenage girl's reactions. "Do you still want to look for him?"
Kuinnu only turned and seemed to stare at the Goblin King. The look in her sapphire eyes was that of complete determination. She made this mistake, and she would fix it. "I do. And I will find him."
A light sigh escaped the youthful king's lips as he continued to watch the girl whose wish had summoned him from his own realm. "What a pity." Marik said as raised his hand as he walked in front of her, a small smirk crossing his lips as he moved towards her. The Shadow King could only stare into those deep blue eyes of hers. Her eyes that showed how pure and innocent she still was. She was a child in the body of a young woman. "You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth or your 'prince' will be at my mercy, and you shall never see him again." The Goblin King told her, turning slightly to a clock that seemed to just hang in midair. Where it even came from at all, Kuinnu had absolutely no idea, and she decided not to think about it too much.
"Oh. One more thing, my dear." The young royal said as he lifted his hand towards her direction and smirked a bit.
Kuinnu struggled not to blush as the Shadow King conjured a brilliantly beautiful red rose, before he reached over and gently set the flower securely in her hair tie of her ponytail. The beauty of the flower only added to her own in the king's eyes.
"This special rose has 13 petals, my Light. The petals will not fall unless a single hour has passed. This will be your only way of keeping track of how much time you have left." Marik told her. "When the last petal falls, your time is up. And you will have lost this little game."
'My light?' She thought, not sure how to respond to his name for her. The azure-eyed girl glared at the taller blonde, to which the gleam in his eyes only seemed to grow. "I'll win this so-called game of yours, Marik." Kuinnu told the Shadow King in a firm and determined tone of voice. "And when I do find Yami, we'll go home together."
The Goblin King narrowed his eyes a bit at her, backing away and starting to fade into thin air, along with the clock. "Remember. Only 13 hours. Such a pity." His voice said as he vanished entirely from her sight.
Once the Shadow King was gone, Kuinnu looked around for a few moments before taking a deep breath and heading down the hill and towards the entrance of the Labyrinth. She walked slowly, so as not to fall on her way down the rather steep side of the hill, feeling glad when she finally reached the bottom. Her azure eyes scanned the area, taking in the sight of the walls of the great maze now that she was up close to it. She could make out what appeared to be a type of ivy and some sort of white flower growing on the walls. Although she found the flowers to be pretty, Kuinnu had to remind herself that she wasn't there to admire the local flora. She was there to rescue her boyfriend. The mortal wandered for a few feet, looking for something that even vaguely resembled an entrance of sorts. She soon spotted what appeared to her to be two people standing and talking to one another. 'Maybe they can help me get inside.' Kuinnu thought, knowing that while Marik had given her the initial challenge of getting through the Labyrinth, he neglected to tell her exactly how to enter the great maze. A frown crossed her face briefly at the realization. He probably wanted her to waste time finding a way inside.
Taking another deep breath and pushing thoughts of the Goblin King out of her mind, the teenage girl began to jog towards the duo, praying that they could help her somehow. "Excuse me?" She called out loud enough to get their attention.
Upon seeing the blonde girl, one of the two, who appeared to be a woman, gave a yell of fear and vanished. In doing so, Kuinnu blinked numerous times in confusion. "She… vanished..?"
"What is a human like you doing here in the Shadow Realm?" The man asked, turning and half glaring at the young girl.
Kuinnu only blushed a bit, as she looked at the man, noticing his appearance. His sharp eyes were a piercing blue-violet color, seeming to stare right through her, body and soul. His skin, like Marik's, was perfectly and naturally tanned like bronze. Also, she noticed a similar pair of markings around his eyes that Marik had as well. She wondered if all people in this realm had those markings. Glancing up a bit, Kuinnu saw how his chocolate colored hair hung loosely around his shoulders, with his bangs framing his face all too perfectly. Her eyes slowly drifted downwards and noticed the golden armbands on his biceps and wrists. Covering his torso was a wine-colored vest that was slightly opened at the top, with beige colored pants that seemed to cling to his legs and a darker violet sash wrapped around his waist and hanging off the left side of his body. A pair of matching beige colored slippers, though a bit darkened by dirt and sand, covered his feet.
"Well, what are you doing here?" He asked again, his eyes still narrowed.
"Excuse me, but I'm trying to get into the Labyrinth. Can you help me?" The human girl asked, trying to be as polite as possible. She had no idea who this man was, or what he could be capable of. Therefore, logically, she didn't want to get on his bad side and possibly end up getting hurt. And Kuinnu did not like the thought of pain, especially in such a strange and mysterious place like this. However, when the man didn't answer and seemed to ignore her question, she felt herself getting mad. Kuinnu forced herself to remain calm. 'Okay then, let's try this a different way.' She thought. "Can you at least tell me your name, sir?" She asked.
"My name is Mahado. Some call me The Magician." The man said calmly, watching the mortal girl carefully. "Who are you?" He asked, even though he really didn't care who the girl was.
'Interesting nickname.' She thought to herself. "I'm Kuinnu." The human girl said, just watching the chestnut haired male beauty in front of her. Taking a moment to clear her throat, and her thoughts, the girl decided to ask for his help again. "Do you know where the door to the Labyrinth is?"
Mahado didn't look at her as he moved towards a small area which resembled something like a small camp. "Maybe."
"All right then, where is it?" Kuinnu asked, her eyes lighting up. When a few moments passed that Mahado said nothing, her expression returned to its previous one. "I said, where is it?"
"Where is what?" He answered in a bored tone.
"The door."
"What door?"
"The door into the Labyrinth." The girl said, balling her fists.
"What about it?" Mahado said, throwing a handful of some sort of powder into the fire.
"UGH! It's hopeless to ask you anything!" Kuinnu snapped, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Getting worked up wouldn't help anything, she just had to keep that in mind.
Mahado only shook his head, partly in annoyance. The sooner he got rid of her, the better for him. "Not, if you ask the right questions." He told the human girl.
The teenager looked over at him, taking another deep breath. "How do I get into the Labyrinth?" She said, sounding exhausted just from talking to the handsome man.
Hearing her say the 'correct' question, Mahado turned back to her and stood up. "Now that's more like it." He answered, still calm as ever. "You get in, through there." He said, pointing to a large gate with two doors that slowly started to open on their own.
Kuinnu watched as the doors of the Labyrinth opened on their own and shuddered lightly. She inhaled deeply through her nose and walked towards the now opened 'gate'. 'I guess there's no going back now…' She thought, taking slow steps. Inside were two identical passages on either side, with stone walls stretching on as far as the eye could see. Kuinnu walked in a bit further, looking down one pathway.
"Not too welcoming, is it?" Mahado said behind the girl, causing Kuinnu to yelp in surprise. "So, which way will you go? Left…" He turned and gestured with his left hand. "Or right?" He asked, doing the same with his right hand.
Kuinnu just looked down both directions, feeling uneasy. "Hmmm… Which way would you go?" She asked him.
"Neither. Why would I want to venture through this hell trap anyways?" Mahado said with a tone that made Kuinnu wanna strangle 'the Magician'.
"You know, if you're not gonna help me, then you can just leave. I have a limited amount of time to solve this thing and if you're gonna just waste my time, then excuse me." The mortal girl said. Her tone of voice clearly said she was not in a mood for his antics.
"I'll give you one piece of advice." Mahado said to the girl. "Watch yourself in there."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuinnu asked the magician. Although she was hiding it externally, she was actually worried by his words.
"Nothing is what it seems inside the Labyrinth." The bronze-skinned man said calmly but all the while serious. "You can't trust your eyes alone. And you can't always trust the words of the people inside either. Especially the King's words."
The mortal girl could only shudder lightly at his tone of voice. "Well, to be honest I don't plan on trusting the Goblin King anyways. It's because of him that I'm here."
Mahado raised an eyebrow at her words. While he was curious enough to ask her about it, he decided against it and moved to return to the outside of the Labyrinth. He wanted to distance himself from the maze of deception and its master. Without looking back at Kuinnu, Mahado walked out of the gate entranceway, the large doors shutting behind him.
The tall brunette made his way back to his small camp, thinking about what the girl had said.
"Well, to be honest I don't plan on trusting the Goblin King anyways. It's because of him that I'm here."
Humans who knew the correct words to wish away a child to the Shadow Realm nowadays were very, very few. Times had changed in the Human Realm, and now the power of magic had faded a great deal. If that young woman was there because of the Goblin King, then apparently she had managed to say the right words. A light sigh escaped the Magician's lips. He felt a bit sorry for the girl now. Clearly she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Marik was a very cruel and twisted monarch. And he enjoyed watching others suffer as they tried to navigate his Labyrinth, especially humans. He sighed again, pitying the poor girl and her current predicament. However, Mahado remembered the look of determination in the girl's sapphire eyes. Determination alone wouldn't be enough to navigate through the great maze. But there was also something else in her eyes. Something he couldn't put his finger on. Still, Mahado found himself hoping that the young human would be alright. She seemed like a nice girl. And it would be a shame if she ended up hurt, or worse, just because she was trying to find and save someone she loved. Mahado knew full well that the Goblin King didn't show mercy to anyone. And the mage seriously doubted that Marik would show any mercy to the honey haired girl.
"Ugh… this path just keeps going on and on. No turns, no openings, no nothing…." Kuinnu growled, punching a wall before leaning against it in frustration at her current progress. "What kind of person designs a labyrinth that just keeps going straight?" She had walked for what she thought may have been five to ten minutes, and already she was annoyed. She had passed maybe a mile or so already of nothing but stone walls, fallen tree branches and the occasional large rock in the middle of the road. Also, she was regretting that she hadn't changed out of her knee-high boots. Not that she wasn't used to walking around in them a great deal, it was more that she felt like she was starting to sweat. Turning her back to the wall, she slumped down until she was sitting on the stone ground.
"Hello, young lady." A friendly voice said to Kuinnu as she leaned against the wall. As she looked around in confusion, the voice spoke again. "Down here."
Her deep blue eyes followed the voice and landed on a small light blue worm who was sitting on one of the loose stones in the wall that she was leaning against.
"Um… Did you just… talk to me?" The blonde girl said, blinking a few times as she stared at the worm.
"Yes I did." The worm replied with a smile.
"Okay… So, now a worm's talking to me… Not the weirdest thing to ever happen to me but definitely in the top ten…" Kuinnu said mostly to herself, trying to stay calm. "Oh, wait! Do you know the way to get through this labyrinth?" She asked the insect.
"Me? Sorry, missy. Afraid I don't." The little bug replied, shaking his head a bit. "Would you like something to drink?" He offered, seeing the girl frown in disappointment.
"Thank you, but no. You see, I have to find a way through this labyrinth, but I can't find any turns or openings or anything! It just keeps going on and on and on in one direction." The human girl said, her frustration evident in her voice.
"Silly girl. This place is full of openings! It's just that you need to know how to look for them." The worm said. "Like right over there, for example. There's an opening right in front of you." He added, still giving a smile to the girl as he gestured to the opposite wall.
Thinking that she had nothing to lose by investigating the worm's claim, Kuinnu stood up slowly, dusted off and straightened out her skirt and then walked over to the other wall. "Are you sure about this? That's just another wall. There's no way to get through that. Well, not without special powers or something." The teenager said.
"Things aren't always what they seem in this place." The worm told her, still smiling all the while at Kuinnu. "So, therefore, you can't take anything for granted, young lady."
'That's like what that guy Mahado said earlier.' The blonde girl thought as she carefully held up her hands. She moved them towards the side of the wall, expecting to meet with the feel of hard stone… only to find her hands keep going and revealing that there was an opening! "Hey! There really is an opening here!" Kuinnu exclaimed happily. "Thank you so much, sir!" She said, turning back to the worm before heading to the left.
"W-wa-wait a second!" The blue bug called after her. Kuinnu poked her head back towards the area she'd just come from. "Yes?" "Don't go that way! Never go that way!" The worm told her, almost sounding a bit panicked.
Kuinnu raised a light eyebrow but shrugged. The worm had helped her once, she didn't see why he would try to deceive her now. "Okay. Thanks." She said, turning and heading in the opposite direction.
The worm just shook his head as the girl disappeared. "If she had kept going that way, she would have gone straight to the palace. And who in their right mind would want to go there?" He asked to no one in particular before he inched his way into his home.
A sigh escaped the girl as she kept walking. If she had to guess as far as time, Kuinnu would've had to estimate it had been about five minutes since she left the area where she'd met the worm. At least, that's what she had to guess from the coloration of the first petal of her rose. "Where's a White Rabbit when you need one?" She thought out loud, coming to a strange crossways. Turning behind her, Kuinnu widened her eyes a bit as she caught a glimpse of Marik's great palace in the distance. From where she stood, it was clear that it was much larger than she thought before, when she had seen it up on the hill. The sight of the Goblin King's palace made her heart sink for a moment, as her thoughts turned to thoughts of Yami. Instantly, her hand reached for her necklace charm and held it tightly. Kuinnu took a deep breath as she held onto her charm. 'This is a promise. I swear on my necklace that I will make it through this Labyrinth and find Yami, and we'll go home together." She vowed to herself with a determination. Staring to move again, Kuinnu felt herself starting to sing. It wasn't totally unusual for her, as she found that she would sing whenever she was alone and usually when she was troubled by something or other. But also, she would sing to make herself feel better. And right now, that's definitely what she needed.
"Trippin out
Spinning around
I'm underground
I fell down…
Yeah I fell down…
I'm freaking out, where am I now?
Upside down and I can't stop it now
Can't stop me now!
I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me
I, I won't cry…"
Kuinnu stopped for a moment as she reached another fork, looking at her options. Left? Right? Well, last time she took the left passage, so this time she would take the right. A tiny smile crossed her lips as she sang, which soon turned into a smirk. She half wanted someone to hear her. No, she wanted Marik to hear her. To hear that she was not afraid of him or of the challenge he set for her. That she could take on anything the Shadow King and his Labyrinth threw at her.
"I found myself in Wonderland
Get back on my feet, the ground
Is this real?
Is this pretend?
I'll take a stand until the end!"
A confident smirk crossed her lips as she kept walking, quickly turning into a light jog. The jog soon turned into a run. She could feel her jacket and her flowing behind her as she ran. Could feel her heart racing a bit faster as her confidence increased with each step forward she took.
"I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me!
I, I won't cry!
I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me!
I, and I won't cry!"
Kuinnu only smiled to herself as she kept running down her current pathway. She was not about to give up so early on. As both Mahado and the worm had told her, 'things aren't always what they seem in this place'. She just had to keep those words in mind, and she could get through the Labyrinth easily. 'I'll find you, Yami. I'll rescue you! So just wait for me!'
All he had to do was wait. However, King Marik did not like to wait, for anything. That did not mean, however, that he wasn't patient. Only that he didn't enjoy having to wait. Shifting himself in his throne, the youthful looking monarch let his eyes glance around his throne room. The room itself, like most of his palace, was made of gold and alabaster, all decorated in the style of the ancient mortal Pharaohs, following the traditions that his inhuman ancestors chose to live by. Images and symbols of Ancient Egypt adorned the walls and pillars of the room, along with many images of various creatures in the Labyrinth and the Shadow Realm itself. Behind his golden throne were images of creatures and monsters of great power, ones who were respected and feared. Just as he, as the Goblin King and Master of the Labyrinth, was feared. At the top were three beasts that were colored with jewels. One decorated with rubies and garnets, another adorned with sapphires and lapis lazuli and finally, the last one, at the very top, made of gold and yellow diamonds. Below them was another great beast of power, a dragon, decorated in silver, pearls and white diamonds. And so far, it was the only one of the four beasts depicted that was not under Marik's control.
Turning his amethyst gaze to the sight before him, the King of Shadows looked at the subjects that controlled most of the Labyrinth. Goblins of nearly every shape and size below 4 feet could be seen doing gods only knew what. Most of them just sat and did nothing, watching others do such things like tormenting comrades, or playing with small toys that had belonged to human children in the past. While goblins could be quite 'dangerous' when in large numbers, most of them still acted like the mortal children many of them had been at one time.
Most times, Marik didn't care what they lot of them did. They all feared him, and knew better than to challenge him. But he did not want to see any of them right now. Right now, he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. And his thoughts were on the young, mortal woman who he had been waiting for so long to meet face to face. Slowly, Marik stood up from his elegant throne, casting his deep eyes at the many goblins in his throne room. As he stood, the Goblins in the room all turned to face their king. They all knew that he was about to say something, and probably something important.
"Leave me. Now." The blonde king said in a tone that all of the Goblins knew meant 'obey or die'. Or worse, 'throw him in the Bog'. The myriad of his subjects quickly rushed for the nearest exit they could find.
Once he was alone, Marik sat back down in his throne. But this time, he sat sideways, with his legs hanging over one of the arms. Conjuring up one of his crystals, the king willed it to show him Kuinnu, so that he could see her progress. She wasn't that far, still mostly on the outermost parts of the maze, slowly making her way further into the Labyrinth. It didn't matter, however. She'd never reach his palace in time to save the boy.
In 13 hours, Kuinnu would be his. No, not even 13 hours. According to the elegant clock that hung on the wall, she still had12 hours and 8 minutes to try and reach his great palace. And Marik would have to wait that long. After 16 years of watching her grow up, Marik would finally have her. That beautiful, radiant light that emit from her soul, would be his, and his alone. A small sigh escaped the Goblin King's lips but his smirk soon returned, shutting his eyes. '13 hours… Should I have really given her so long? All it will do is just delay the inevitable. No one knows how to get through the Labyrinth. And those that do know how to navigate it all answer to me. And they will not say anything of it, on the threat of being thrown into the Bog of Eternal Stench.' A chuckle escaped the king, trying to relax a bit more as he sat in his throne.
'I could have been generous, and offered the boy's freedom in exchange for her own. But my Light is as stubborn as she is beautiful. No, watching her spirit break inside the Labyrinth will be much more entertaining. And once she is broken, once she finally gives up on this foolish mission and gives in…' The bronze skinned king thought to himself, his smirk growing into a somewhat sadistic one. 'Who would have thought that one mortal boy would be all it took for her to finally say the correct words?' He thought with another chuckle. However, his chuckle faded as another thought crossed his mind. Marik knew better than anyone about the dangers of his own kingdom. Dangers that most mortals couldn't handle on their own.
"Akefia!" Marik called out firmly, opening his eyes. A shadow appeared on the closest pillar on the king's left side. From the shadow, a young man, probably about the same age, physically, as Marik, stepped out. Like most of the members of the court, he had bronze colored skin. Strangely, his hair was a grayish-white color, which was odd for one so (apparently) young. Also, on the right side of his face, the youth had a rather large scar, with two other scars connected to it. He was dressed in a long red coat and black pants that hugged his body nicely, and beige colored slipper-like shoes, with a strange gold item resting around his neck. The white haired youth bowed to the Goblin King, his dark eyes watching his master. "You called for me, Your Highness?"
"I have a job for you." Marik said, standing up and causing the crystal in his hands to vanish, being replaced by a golden scepter. "I have allowed a human woman to enter the Labyrinth. She has been given 13 hours to try and reach the palace. I want you to go and keep an eye on her progress." The king said firmly to his servant.
Akefia looked up at the king with some confusion. 'He wants me to babysit this brat that is trying to get here?' He thought to himself. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, isn't there someone better suited to watch over this woman?" The white haired man asked, not wanting to risk his own neck with a blatant refusal of his orders.
"Akefia, you are my personal assassin. You have the skill to remain hidden until the last moment, when you become the last thing your target sees." Marik said calmly. "This woman is different. I do not want her harmed by anything in the Labyrinth, but I also cannot allow her to reach this palace before 13 hours have passed." The Shadow King said, his violet eyes narrowed at his servant. "I want you to observe her progress, delay her when necessary and keep her out of danger. I do not want her getting hurt."
'Different?' Akefia thought to himself but decided against voicing his thoughts. Instead, he stood up slowly, his head still bowed to his king and master.
"Go. Make sure that she doesn't see you." Marik ordered firmly, turning his back to his personal assassin. The silverette wanted to argue, but said nothing as he faded into the shadows once again and vanished to go and locate the girl.
Glancing across his great throne room, Marik turned his violet eyes to the crystal encased form of the young human male who Kuinnu had accidentally wished into his realm. His regal eyes narrowed in mild annoyance. This mortal boy had dared to think that Kuinnu could be his lover. And what probably irritated him even more was the youth's name. 'Yami', she had called him. This impudent whelp dared to think he could call himself the darkness? He was the darkness. Thankfully, for Yami anyways, until the 13 hours had come and gone, Marik could not hurt the boy. By ancient magics and rules that went with traditions older than time, the Shadow King could not hurt the youth until the time limit he'd given Kuinnu was over. No, Yami was just a prize that Kuinnu had to win from the Goblin King. And Kuinnu herself was the prize that Marik had to win.
"You are very lucky, boy. You're far too old to be turned into a goblin." Marik said with a glare to the 'sleeping' teen. Yes, he was very lucky he was in his adolescent years. Only children, usually under the age of ten, could be turned into goblins. Marik himself never fully understood why that was. But it had something to do with their innocence. And the younger the child, the easier they could be changed into creatures such as the goblins that filled his kingdom. However, once a child began to reach a certain age, they were safe from his magic. And Yami was already 17. His age protected him from the magic that would have transformed him into yet another goblin.
"Were I able, I would feed you to the more deadly creatures of my domain. But for now, just remain asleep inside that crystal and act as the bait that brings her deeper into my realm, and my power." The Shadow King said before turning away from him, calling back the crystal orb he had been holding to his hand, and gazing at the image of the young woman who was running through his Labyrinth, trying to reach his palace. "13 hours…" He repeated again slowly, staring with an intense gaze at the azure eyed girl. "In comparison to 16 years… it's not long at all."
Chapter 2 is finished! Thank you for being so patient with me! This gave me more trouble than it could have been. I was determined to have it end at a particular point and I didn't want to compromise that. But now we have formally introduced Marik, as well as met Mahado and Akefia. Which, now that Marik has made his debut, I have a question for you guys. Who do you think Kuinnu should ultimately end up with in this? Should she be true to Yami? Or should the Goblin King triumph for once?
Also, the song that Kuinnu sings is 'Alice' by Avril Lavigne, from the 2010 'Alice in Wonderland'. There were a lot of lyrics in the song that seemed to fit for Kuinnu's situation, so I put that in and gave Kuinnu the 'first song', replacing 'Dance Magic'. I do intend to have Marik and a few others 'sing' at later points in my fic. Also, at some point, and if enough people are interested, I'll post the FST (fic soundtrack) on my youtube account.
Until next time guys!